Five years ago our television screens were dominated by pictures of Kosovo-Albanian refugees escaping across Kosovo's borders to the sanctuaries of Macedonia and Albania. Shrill reports indicated that Slobodan Milosevic's security forces were conducting a campaign of genocide and that at least 100,000 Kosovo-Albanians had been exterminated and buried in mass graves throughout the Serbian province. NATO sprung into action and, in spite of the fact no member nation of the alliance was threatened, commenced bombing not only Kosovo, but the infrastructure and population of Serbia itself -- without the authorizing United Nations resolution so revered by Canadian leadership, past and present.

Those of us who warned that the West was being sucked in on the side of an extremist, militant, Kosovo-Albanian independence movement were dismissed as appeasers. The fact that the lead organization spearheading the fight for independence, the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), was universally designated a terrorist organization and known to be receiving support from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda was conveniently ignored.

The recent dearth of news in the North American media regarding the increase in violence in Kosovo compared to the comprehensive coverage in the European press strongly suggests that we Canadians don't like to admit it when we are wrong. On the contrary, selected news clips on this side of the ocean continue to reinforce the popular spin that those dastardly Serbs are at it again.

A case in point was the latest crisis that exploded on March 15. The media reported that four Albanian boys had been chased into the river Ibar in Mitrovica by at least two Serbs and a dog (the dog's ethnic affiliation was not reported).Three of the boys drowned and one escaped to the other side. Immediately, thousands of Albanians mobilized and concentrated in the area of the divided city. Attacks on Serbs took place throughout the province resulting in an estimated 30 killed and 600 wounded. Thirty Serbian Christian Orthodox churches and monasteries were destroyed, more than 300 homes were burnt to the ground and six Serbian villages cleansed of their occupants. One hundred and fifty international peacekeepers were injured.

Totally ignored in North America were the numerous statements from impartial sources that said there was no incident between the Serbs, the dog and the Albanian boys. NATO Police spokesman Derek Chappell stated on March 16 that it was "definitely not true" that the boys had been chased into the river by Serbs. Chappell went on to say that the surviving boy had told his parents that they had entered the river alone and that three of his friends had been swept away by the current. Admiral Gregory Johnson, the overall NATO commander, further stated that the ensuing clashes were "orchestrated and well-planned ethnic cleansing" by the Kosovo-Albanians. Those Serbs forced to leave joined the 200,000 who had been cleansed from the province since NATO's "humanitarian" bombing in 1999. The '"cleansees" have become very effective "cleansers."

In the same week a number of individuals posing as Serbs ambushed and killed a UN policeman and his local police partner. During the firefight one of them was wounded which caused an immediate switch from Serbian to Albanian as he screamed, "I've been hit"! The UN pursued the attackers and tracked them to an Albanian-run farm where they discovered weapons and the wounded Albanian who had died from his wounds. Four Albanians were arrested. Once again, the ambush had been reported in the United States but not the follow-up which clearly indicated yet another orchestrated provocation by the Albanian terrorists.

Kosovo is administered by the UN, the very organization many Canadians have indicated they would like to see take over from the United States in Iraq. The fact the UN cannot order its civilian employees to go or stay anywhere -- they have to volunteer -- combined with recent history that saw the UN abandon Iraq after a single brutal attack on their compound in Baghdad and the reality that Kosovo, under the organization's administration, is a basket case, disqualifies it from consideration for such a role.

Since the NATO/UN intervention in 1999, Kosovo has become the crime capital of Europe. The sex slave trade is flourishing. The province has become an invaluable transit point for drugs en route to Europe and North America. Ironically, the majority of the drugs come from another state "liberated" by the West, Afghanistan. Members of the demobilized, but not eliminated, KLA are intimately involved in organized crime and the government. The UN police arrest a small percentage of those involved in criminal activities and turn them over to a judiciary with a revolving door that responds to bribes and coercion.

The objective of the Albanians is to purge all non-Albanians, including the international community's representatives, from Kosovo and ultimately link up with mother Albania thereby achieving the goal of "Greater Albania." The campaign started with their attacks on Serbian security forces in the early 1990s and they were successful in turning Milosevic's heavy-handed response into worldwide sympathy for their cause. There was no genocide as claimed by the West -- the 100,000 allegedly buried in mass graves turned out to be around 2,000, of all ethnic origins, including those killed in combat during the war itself.

The Kosovo-Albanians have played us like a Stradivarius. We have subsidized and indirectly supported their violent campaign for an ethnically pure and independent Kosovo. We have never blamed them for being the perpetrators of the violence in the early '90s and we continue to portray them as the designated victim today in spite of evidence to the contrary. When they achieve independence with the help of our tax dollars combined with those of bin Laden and al-Qaeda, just consider the message of encouragement this sends to other terrorist-supported independence movements around the world.

Funny how we just keep digging the hole deeper!

Maj-Gen. Lewis MacKenzie, now retired, commanded UN troops during the Bosnian civil war of 1992.

Five years ago our television screens were dominated by pictures ofKosovo-Albanian refugees escaping across Kosovo's borders to thesanctuaries of Macedonia and Albania. Shrill reports indicated thatSlobodan Milosevic's security forces were conducting a campaign ofgenocide and that at least 100,000 Kosovo-Albanians had been exterminatedand buried in mass graves throughout the Serbian province. NATO sprunginto action and, in spite of the fact no member nation of the alliance wasthreatened, commenced bombing not only Kosovo, but the infrastructure andpopulation of Serbia itself -- without the authorizing United Nationsresolution so revered by Canadian leadership, past and present.

Those of us who warned that the West was being sucked in on the side of anextremist, militant, Kosovo-Albanian independence movement were dismissedas appeasers. The fact that the lead organization spearheading the fightfor independence, the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), was universallydesignated a terrorist organization and known to be receiving support fromOsama bin Laden's al-Qaeda was conveniently ignored.

The recent dearth of news in the North American media regarding theincrease in violence in Kosovo compared to the comprehensive coverage inthe European press strongly suggests that we Canadians don't like to admitit when we are wrong. On the contrary, selected news clips on this side ofthe ocean continue to reinforce the popular spin that those dastardlySerbs are at it again.

A case in point was the latest crisis that exploded on March 15. The mediareported that four Albanian boys had been chased into the river Ibar inMitrovica by at least two Serbs and a dog (the dog's ethnic affiliationwas not reported). Three of the boys drowned and one escaped to the otherside. Immediately, thousands of Albanians mobilized and concentrated inthe area of the divided city. Attacks on Serbs took place throughout theprovince resulting in an estimated 30 killed and 600 wounded. ThirtySerbian Christian Orthodox churches and monasteries were destroyed, morethan 300 homes were burnt to the ground and six Serbian villages cleansedof their occupants. One hundred and fifty international peacekeepers wereinjured.

Totally ignored in North America were the numerous statements fromimpartial sources that said there was no incident between the Serbs, thedog and the Albanian boys. NATO Police spokesman Derek Chappell stated onMarch 16 that it was "definitely not true" that the boys had been chasedinto the river by Serbs. Chappell went on to say that the surviving boyhad told his parents that they had entered the river alone and that threeof his friends had been swept away by the current. Admiral GregoryJohnson, the overall NATO commander, further stated that the ensuingclashes were "orchestrated and well-planned ethnic cleansing" by theKosovo-Albanians. Those Serbs forced to leave joined the 200,000 who hadbeen cleansed from the province since NATO's "humanitarian" bombing in1999. The '"cleansees" have become very effective "cleansers."

In the same week a number of individuals posing as Serbs ambushed andkilled a UN policeman and his local police partner. During the firefightone of them was wounded which caused an immediate switch from Serbian toAlbanian as he screamed, "I've been hit"! The UN pursued the attackers andtracked them to an Albanian-run farm where they discovered weapons and thewounded Albanian who had died from his wounds. Four Albanians werearrested. Once again, the ambush had been reported in the United Statesbut not the follow-up which clearly indicated yet another orchestratedprovocation by the Albanian terrorists.

Kosovo is administered by the UN, the very organization many Canadianshave indicated they would like to see take over from the United States inIraq. The fact the UN cannot order its civilian employees to go or stayanywhere -- they have to volunteer -- combined with recent history thatsaw the UN abandon Iraq after a single brutal attack on their compound inBaghdad and the reality that Kosovo, under the organization'sadministration, is a basket case, disqualifies it from consideration forsuch a role.

Since the NATO/UN intervention in 1999, Kosovo has become the crimecapital of Europe. The sex slave trade is flourishing. The province hasbecome an invaluable transit point for drugs en route to Europe and NorthAmerica. Ironically, the majority of the drugs come from another state"liberated" by the West, Afghanistan. Members of the demobilized, but noteliminated, KLA are intimately involved in organized crime and thegovernment. The UN police arrest a small percentage of those involved incriminal activities and turn them over to a judiciary with a revolvingdoor that responds to bribes and coercion. The objective of the Albaniansis to purge all non-Albanians, including the international community'srepresentatives, from Kosovo and ultimately link up with mother Albaniathereby achieving the goal of "Greater Albania." The campaign started withtheir attacks on Serbian security forces in the early 1990s and they weresuccessful in turning Milosevic's heavy-handed response into worldwidesympathy for their cause. There was no genocide as claimed by the West --the 100,000 allegedly buried in mass graves turned out to be around 2,000,of all ethnic origins, including those killed in combat during the waritself.

The Kosovo-Albanians have played us like a Stradivarius. We havesubsidized and indirectly supported their violent campaign for anethnically pure and independent Kosovo.We have never blamed them for beingthe perpetrators of the violence in the early '90s and we continue toportray them as the designated victim today in spite of evidence to thecontrary. When they achieve independence with the help of our tax dollarscombined with those of bin Laden and al-Qaeda, just consider the messageof encouragement this sends to other terrorist-supported independencemovements around the world.

Wow! I have seen that view before. This being from 2004, perhaps it was the same piece. He seems knowledgeable and credible; I don't know enough to disagree. What I would add is that our attempt to protect Muslims in Bosnia and Kosova were just a couple of the MANY times we have sided with Muslims, and doing so was always of no use or benefit in dealing with Islamist extremists (or the blame-America crowd) then or later who only recognize examples of interventions that infer we are their enemy.

Other nostalgia from the Balkans, I also can't remember when congress declared war in Bosnia, Kosova or Serbia (they didn't) and can't imagine what the media and liberal reaction would have been if was Reagan or Bush instead of Clinton who bombed the Chinese embassy.

If Clinton chose the wrong side from time to time, perhaps it was because he was distracted...